Tuesday

Good morning, gentle readers, welcome to Tuesday and half way through November.  It's dull outside and rather mild.  I'm up before the heating and, with dressing gown and slippers on, do not feel the need to turn it up.  It's still on night setting, of course.

Well, despite needing to stay in yesterday, it was quite a busy and productive day.

I made bread.  Nice, half and half granary and wholemeal.  One for my customer and one for the freezer!  Baking bread does make the house smell so lovely.

I used up some pastry that I had made on Friday and of which I didn't need all.  I have no idea whether I ought to have or not but never mind, it made another six mince pies and now I have so many mince pies I shall probably still be eating them at Easter!
The pastry was delicious!

I made cranberry chutney.  Last week Morrisons had fresh cranberries reduced quite a lot which seemed too good to miss.  I have a nice, simple recipe with not too many ingredients and I had everything in already so that was good.  It made very easily and tastes good.  It'll go well with the turkey and, as I have seven jars-full, will make nice presents for friends.  I'm going to have some in a bacon sarnie for breakfast, I think.

I did a fair amount of washing, dried it AND ironed it.  How's that for efficiency, eh?   There's some more ironing now as the last load on the drying rack wasn't dry in time.  I did give in and used the tumble dryer for the sheets and duvet covers - apart from the ease, they don't need much ironing if you take them out quickly and fold them.

I did some more cupboard sorting.  I do find chucking stuff out (whether to the bin or the charity shop) really difficult but I am doing my very best to follow the advice of the Perfect Housewife (remember her?) and only keep that which is seriously beautiful, seriously useful or seriously sentimental.  It's very hard.  My reward is space to put other things away properly.  That has to be good, doesn't it?

I found stuff I had forgotten I had.  Some of it will go to the charity shop but I shall keep some.  I found a set of hand made soup bowls and saucers.  I shall keep three green ones as they go perfectly with my decor and aren't too huge but I shall get rid of the four over-large bowls and five saucers - I must have broken a bowl at some point.

I also found a stack of individual plates of various sizes.  Again, I shall keep some which are Christmas plates and also a couple of Wedgwood bone china plates from 'The Baby Owls' collection by Dick Twinney.  They're not valuable - I looked online and they seem to be fetching around a tenner each although I couldn't find the two I have anywhere so maybe there's a rarity value or maybe nobody wants them but they are seriously sweet (I think) and I am keeping them.  I might even get round to displaying them at some point, if I can get some plate stands.

Elf Owl chicks

African Wood Owl chicks

The other plates will go to the local charity shop.

I had already done my tuition planning so I researched resources and printed some stuff off, including some helpful assessment resources.  I do like Twinkl.  Also, it's nice not to have to think 'must get the planning done'.

And while I was getting on with that, my bee-yoo-ti-ful (not) artexed bedroom ceiling was being dealt with accompanied by bangs and clatters.  He finished by mid afternoon and it does look so much better although I shall sleep in the guest room while it is drying out and all the stuff I moved in there will stay there until all the decorating is finished as I don't see any point in yoyoing it in and out, in and out.  Life's too short!

And I had one unnecessary spend - I treated myself to this year's Jacquie Lawson Advent calendar.  It's a tradition now and they are so lovely, even if the activities are the same each year!  I have already played with the snowflake maker, decorated the Christmas tree and created a wreath for one of the doors.  I wish it was that easy in real life.
Her calendars are brilliant - take a look for yourself.  Excellent value and great entertainment.
http://www.jacquielawson.com/

So, you see, a really profitable day in which I did everything on my list.  I'm definitely improving!  😃

Today I shall be popping down to the upholsterers to see if I can find a fabric for recovering the suite.  Then the lovely Sharon is round to do my hair (and Beth's too), I need to make a trip to the charity shop and after that I want to make inroads into the yellow room as all my bedroom stuff is higgledy-piggledy and I want it to be neat and pleasant.  I have a stack of jam jars and lids which need to go down to the garage and the kitchen then needs a finish off.   I am quite determined to have a completely tidy home by Christmas, rather than just the bits that show with everything else piled into my bedroom which is what usually happens.  I am sick and tired of living in clutter - it has been dragging me down and it's time to deal with it.

Food:
B:  bacon sandwich with cranberry chutney, apple
L:  not sure because it will be in the middle of the hair cutting, etc.
D:  I think I shall steam a salmon fillet and have it with some really nice sprouts (no, that is NOT an oxymoron) and maybe some mushrooms.